He is Too Stingy, This Sand Sculpture Cannon Fodder

It’s snowing.

Snowflakes are falling one by one, and a few of them land on Lin Mingxu’s hair, quietly melting away, leaving behind sparkling droplets.

Shu You unconsciously looks at the slightly damp hair and opens his mouth in surprise, “Huh?”

What is Lin Mingxu saying… tongue twisters? Or riddles?

How can he tell himself things that he doesn’t know?

Shu You can’t help but giggle, “Boyfriend, you’re so strange.”

“There are things I know that you don’t know. You don’t know that I know, and I know that you know that you don’t know, but I don’t know if you want to know.”

Lin Mingxu: “…”

The romantic atmosphere vanishes, and Lin Mingxu takes a deep breath, coldly saying, “Goodbye, no need to see you off.”

Shu You: “???”

After getting on the high-speed train, Shu You still couldn’t figure out what was going on.

He could only attribute it to Lin Mingxu’s inscrutable thoughts.

Wu Youzhe is still in a state of confusion, “Shu You, when did your boyfriend come over?”

Shu You’s hair droops on his head as he casually says, “Yesterday, I don’t know when he arrived. We only met last night.”

“…Is he here on a business trip?”

Wu Youzhe also notices Tang Assistant and guesses, “That’s quite a coincidence.”

“Yeah.”

Shu You casually converses with him when a flash of insight suddenly crosses his mind: Wait, could it be that Lin Mingxu is behaving this way because…

He quickly sends a message to Lin Mingxu: [On the fourth day of the business trip, miss you miss you miss you~~~]

Wu Youzhe, sitting beside him, unexpectedly glimpses at the screen and immediately says, “Didn’t you two just separate?”

“Yeah.”

Shu You shyly says, “One day apart feels like three autumns; five minutes apart feels like a tea time.”

Wu Youzhe: “…Is there a difference?”

He opens his mouth, feeling his teeth sour, but suddenly remembers his own situation and can’t help but feel sad: Forget it, as a person on the verge of a broken family, how can I compare to a couple in love?

So during the journey of more than ten minutes, Wu Youzhe remains melancholic, gazing at the scenery flying by outside the window.

…Fully showcasing the unique charm of a melancholic middle-aged man.

Before long, someone calls out to him, “Excuse me, can you…”

Wu Youzhe’s eyes light up, “Talk about life?”

“No.”

The other person looks at him strangely, “Can you put your leg away? I need to pass.”

Wu Youzhe: “…”

He decides to make an appointment for psychological counseling when he returns.

The high-speed train swiftly arrives, and the production crew sends a car to pick them up. The two of them follow and arrive at the shooting location, which turns out to be a farmhouse.

As Shu You walks in, Duan Siqi turns his head with a lack of energy and leaps up when he sees him, “Shu You, Shu You, Shu You!”

Shu You: “Wait… Did I fly here?”

Duan Siqi looks bewildered, “Do you have a private plane too? Ah, never mind that. You’re here, and I just remembered some details I didn’t tell you last night…”

Shu You recalls the dozens of 60-second voice messages, and his face shows terror, “I suddenly remembered that I have something to do. I have to leave.”

Duan Siqi is taken aback, “Do you have something to do? Well, remember to come later. Brother Luo just bought me a bunch of snacks, and I can’t finish them alone.”

Shu You’s steps pause instantly, “…Wait, I suddenly remembered that I’ve already finished that task.”

The two of them get into Duan Siqi’s RV, and as soon as Shu You sits down, he tears open a bag of potato chips as big as his head, adjusts himself into a comfortable position, and starts munching on them.

Duan Siqi says, “Shu You, I wanted to tell you about Sisi…”

Shu You: “Crunch, crunch, crunch…”

Duan Siqi: “Shu You, I wanted to talk to you about Sisi…”

Shu You: “Crunch, crunch, crunch…”

Duan Siqi’s speech was dry, and with a slight pause, Shu You handed him a can of soda with a caring and considerate expression, saying, “Are you thirsty? Drink up and continue speaking.”

“… These potato chips are so delicious, he hasn’t had enough.”

Duan Siqi was deeply moved and said, “Shu You, you’re now my friend! If you need anything in the future, just find me, I’ve got your back.”

“Uh-huh, uh-huh.” Shu You nodded absentmindedly, while thinking about whether Duan Siqi or Chu Qing would be a more reliable support.

Duan Siqi had already finished talking about his decades-long acquaintance and relationship with Sisi. He racked his brain but couldn’t come up with any more details. Suddenly, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed, “No, I still want to go find Sisi!”

“I messaged her last night, and she said she’s been at school recently… I’m not the same person I used to be, I can face her again!”

“…Don’t.”

Shu You quickly advised him, “Wait until you finish the show. It’s only two and a half more days, and then it’ll be over.”

Duan Siqi vigorously shook his head, determination written all over his face. “I have to go now to experience my urgent emotions and sincere feelings.”

“…”

Shu You’s gaze wandered, avoiding eye contact. Seeing this, Duan Siqi immediately asked, “Shu You, why can’t you look at me? Don’t you believe in me either?”

“No, no.”

Shu You sincerely pointed out, “Because Luo is Brother behind you again.”

Duan Siqi: “…”

Brother Luo smirked, his face displaying a smile that wasn’t really a smile. “Come down, the production team is calling for people.”

“I’ll leave you with this,” he stared at Duan Siqi with a fierce gaze, “If you dare to run away, I’ll tell your big brother that you regret it and want to quit the entertainment industry.”

Duan Siqi: !!!

Immediately, he became as limp as a winter cabbage.

The two got out of the car, one after the other, and the filming began as the production team greeted them. Duan Siqi was relatively reliable when it came to work, though it may have been due to Brother Luo monitoring him the whole time. After they finished shooting, he ran over to find Shu You but realized that there wasn’t much to reminisce about. They could only stare at each other, at a loss for words.

Shu You blinked his eyes and took the initiative to speak, “…Do you still have those snacks?”

Duan Siqi felt a sudden reprieve and said, “Yes, I still have them.”

The two of them were eliminated in the mini-game segment just now, so now they mainly watched others filming.

They squatted by the village, watching others carrying buckets of water while snacking on melon seeds and enjoying their snacks. At that moment, a little yellow dog from the village approached, looking longingly at the beef jerky in their hands, but the two of them paid no attention, engrossed in their own enjoyment.

The program’s cameraman’s eyes lit up, and he specifically gave the two of them and the dog a few close-up shots. In this moment, the two of them tilted their heads, and the little yellow dog tilted its head, creating a strange unified rhythm.

Hmm, it looked good on camera. Adding some voiceover and artistic text would probably make it a selling point.

The rest of the filming went smoothly and finished half a day early.

On the afternoon of the sixth day, Shu You took the high-speed train back home, and Wu Youzhe received a phone call, surprising him, “Shu You, we have another business collaboration!”

Shu You replied with a lack of energy, “What?”

“…Why are you so unenthusiastic?” Wu Youzhe wondered, “Isn’t this how you like to make money?”

“Well, that’s true.”

After staying up until three in the morning playing games with Duan Siqi, Shu You reluctantly raised his hand and said, “Actually, I’m an artificial intelligence robot. I haven’t been charged in a long time, and I’ve managed to hold on until now solely due to my extraordinary willpower and unwavering determination…”

Wu Youzhe: “…So can you still move now?”

“Not well,” Shu You suddenly convulsed, waving his hands like noodles, and said in panic, “I can only hold on for another five minutes! Hurry, lend me your power bank!”

Wu Youzhe: “Wait, are you serious?”

“It’s true.” Shu You stopped trembling for a second and took out his phone, “Look, my phone is almost out of battery too!”

Wu Youzhe: “…”

He suspected that Shu You just wanted to borrow his power bank.

The car stopped, and the two of them got out of the exit. Wu Youzhe planned to take Shu You home first, but Shu You waved his hand and said, “No need, I’m going to Lin Mingxu’s place.”

He casually hailed a taxi and headed straight for Lin Mingxu’s company. When he reached the reception desk, the receptionist recognized him and retrieved his temporary pass from a drawer. Shu You hung his staff card around his neck and walked in.

No one stopped him along the way, and he went straight to the deepest part of the company.

“Boyfriend, I’m back early!”

…The office was empty.

Shu You paused for only a second and quickly rushed to the adjacent lounge, saying, “Boyfriend, I’m coming in now!”

…The lounge was also empty.

D*mn it.

Shu You wiped his face, put down his bag, and flopped onto the couch in the lounge—huff, huff, huff—he was so tired, he decided to take a nap first.

In his haste, he hadn’t even properly closed the door.

Before long, Lin Mingxu returned.

He didn’t notice anyone entering the room, nor did he see the slightly open door of the lounge in the corner. He walked in with a stern face, followed by Tang Le.

“CEO Lin, the client wants to reconsider…” Tang Le, the assistant, hesitated and suggested, “Should we try to revise the contract?”

“No need.”

Lin Mingxu raised his hand and rubbed his throbbing temple. “The contract is already our best offer. If they still don’t agree, it’s not because of the contract.”

“…Alright, CEO Lin.”

Tang Le didn’t understand. If the contract was already perfect, why couldn’t they close the deal? But since Lin Mingxu said so, he, as an assistant, didn’t say anything more.

Lin Mingxu didn’t say anything else and only gave a few instructions. Tang Le was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and asked, “CEO Lin, aren’t you going home today? Do you want me to order dinner?”

Recently, Lin Mingxu had been extremely busy, so he naturally delegated tasks like ordering meals to his assistant. Tang Le knew that Shu You was still on a business trip, but he wasn’t sure if Shu You had finished it yet, hence the question.

Lin Mingxu paused, his gaze unconsciously falling on his phone. He said calmly, “No need to go back. Just order dinner.”

Tang Le nodded and left.

With everyone gone, the office became quiet. Lin Mingxu busied himself at his desk for a while, and soon it was time to go home.

One by one, the subordinates clocked out and left. Tang Le brought takeout for dinner, confirmed tomorrow’s schedule, and then hurriedly went on his date. The lights in the building gradually turned off, and Lin Mingxu sat at his desk with a faint expression.

…Just another day, no different from before.

Work, work, and more work. Alone, until late at night.

The dinner was packed in a disposable box, getting colder without being opened. Lin Mingxu remained focused on the computer screen, showing no signs of eating. It was at this moment that a sound came from the adjacent lounge…

“Squeak.”

Lin Mingxu:…?

The fleeting sense of loneliness disappeared. He furrowed his brows slightly and paused, observing for a moment. There seemed to be someone talking inside, followed by another sound…

“Sniff.”

The sniffing sound seemed somewhat familiar.

Lin Mingxu got up silently, moving as lightly as possible. He walked to the door of the lounge without making a sound. Although the door was slightly ajar, it wasn’t wide enough to see inside.

He hesitated for a moment, about to push the door, when suddenly, a woman’s voice came from inside, “Hey, I’ve always been curious, Shu You, what do you really like about Lin Mingxu?”

…Was that Shu You in the lounge? When did he come in?

Lin Mingxu was surprised, but his body froze as he listened to what came next.

He heard Shu You sigh rarely and say, “Actually, I don’t like him.”

Lin Mingxu’s gaze suddenly changed, and he heard Shu You continue, “He has a strange and cold temper. He doesn’t know how to comfort others and spends money recklessly. He even fooled me, making me feel like a fool…”

His heart sank bit by bit.

The man’s eyes also darkened, as if covered by dense and indispellable clouds. Some images from the past floated in his mind

—deception, betrayal, nightmares…

All turning into a pair of puppy eyes on a rainy day.

Bright, innocent, and pure, as if glowing.

If even the puppy was fake.

His mind couldn’t process anything else, repeating the same sentence over and over.

The next moment, he heard a deeply moved and solemn declaration from the lounge—

“But I love him deeply! Do you understand how deep my love is?”

Lin Mingxu: “…”

Shu You sincerely and emotionally said, “I have a deep affection for him, deeply in love. I love him so much that I can’t extricate myself. If anyone tries to take him away from me, I’ll treat them as enemies!”

“If loving him is my mistake, then I’m willing to keep making mistakes.”

“If loving him is my sin, then I’m willing to be unforgivable.”

He kept babbling, looking shy, “After all, he is my boyfriend, and he looks so good… I can rely on investing in him to have a comfortable life for the rest of my life.”

Lin Mingxu:…